VEA Announces Its Commitment To The American Business Act On Climate Pledge

PAHRUMP – Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA), a member-owned electric cooperative headquartered in Pahrump, announced that it has joined the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, joining more than 150 companies from across the American economy that are standing with the President of the United States to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to climate action and to voice support for a strong outcome to the COP21 Paris climate negotiations.

THE AMERICAN BUSINESS ACT ON CLIMATE PLEDGE:

As the only electric utility cooperative to take the pledge, VEA applauds the growing number of countries that have already set ambitious targets for climate action and supports the conclusion of an agreement in Paris that takes a strong step toward a low-carbon, sustainable future.

“Our cooperative understands the importance of addressing climate change through the development of sustainable energy projects,” said Tom Husted, CEO of VEA. “We will continue to develop and use programs that effectively utilize the abundance of renewable resources for our members.”

By taking the pledge, VEA recognizes that delaying action on climate change will be costly in economic and human terms, while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy will produce multiple benefits with regard to sustainable economic growth, public health, resilience to natural disasters, and the health of the global environment.

VEA announces its specific pledges to:

• Facilitate the development of more than 200 megawatts of new renewable energy projects within our 6,800-square-mile service territory by 2025.
• Complete a 15-megawatt community solar energy generation project in Pahrump, Nevada by July 2016, providing the output of the project to community members at a lower price than their current electric rates.
• Support the introduction of additional renewable energy resources into the western energy markets, facilitating the development of 50 megawatts of advanced energy storage for implementation in the western grid by 2020.
• Continue to operate one of the nation’s largest and most successful domestic solar water heating programs, providing significant energy savings to our member-owners while improving access to green technology.
• Eliminate an additional 39.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide and displace 14.2 million kilowatt-hours of energy demand by 2025 through our Domestic Solar Water Heating Program.
• Continue to work alongside our member-consumers through an innovative Ambassador Program to promote the development of community-focused renewable energy projects and programs.
• Continue to invest in AgSCADA programs in partnership with our member-consumers to advance the efficient utilization of water and energy for sustained agricultural practices.
• Promotion and cross-applications of smart-grid technologies will be employed to advance consumer efficiencies.
• Expand the cooperative’s existing renewable energy portfolio of VEA-owned solar facilities and renewable power purchase agreements.
• Design all future buildings to comply with LEED standards.
• Install, own and operate an electric vehicle charging station in Beatty, Nevada to promote the use of electric vehicles as part of the Nevada Electric Highway initiative.
• Pursue additional strategies to promote climate change initiatives as appropriate.

About Valley Electric Association, Inc.

Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) is a member-owned nonprofit electric utility headquartered in Pahrump, Nev. While VEA started as a small rural electric utility in 1965, the company now provides service to more than 45,000 people within a vast 6,800-square-mile service area located primarily along the California-Nevada border, with the majority in Nevada. VEA’s service area starts in Sandy Valley, southwest of Las Vegas, and extends north for more than 250 miles to Fish Lake Valley. For more information about VEA, please visit www.vea.coop.